Former Lubbock Christian University and Texas Tech baseball coach Larry Hays was resting in a Lubbock hospital Thursday after he suffered a heart attack the day before.

Hays’ son Shanon said his father underwent a short procedure at Lubbock Heart Hospital to have stents implanted.

“He had a heart attack, but they’re going to let him out Saturday,” said Shanon Hays, the Tech softball coach. “They put two stents in him and restored the blood flow. He felt immediately a lot better, and so he’s doing a lot better.

“He’s just recovering. There’s no damage at all to his heart, so he’s doing pretty good.”

The 68-year-old former coach was set to be inducted into the Tech Athletic Hall of Honor in ceremonies today at the Merket Alumni Center, but will not be able to take part.

In 38 years as head baseball coach at LCU and Tech, Hays compiled a record of 1,508-860-3. According to Tech research, he is the fourth baseball coach in NCAA history to reach 1,500 career college coaching wins.

He did that between 1971 and 2008. Then he took over the LCU softball program for one season and led the Lady Chaps to a 54-7 record and a Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season championship in 2010.

Hays remains on the LCU board of directors and athletic council, helping oversee the Chaps’ move from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

Shanon Hays said his father didn’t feel well before lunch Wednesday.

“I think he was in a meeting at church, actually,” Shanon Hays said. “He said he hadn’t been feeling very good here the last couple of months, but I don’t think he really equated it to that. He went home because he wasn’t feeling good at the meeting. Then he started really feeling a lot of chest pains, so he took himself in.”

Shanon Hays said there is a family history of heart disease.

“Hopefully, it’s something they’ve got managed,” he said, “and I think he has some decisions in the future on what course of action he’s going to take, whether he might have to have surgery or manage things with his diet or whatever. I’m not sure of that yet.”

Mike Gustafson, director of special events for the Double-T Association, said Hays is considered voted into the Tech Athletic Hall of Honor but will be inducted in a future year so he can take part in the ceremony.

The same also applies to former Tech football running back Byron Hanspard, who was voted into the 2012 class but can’t attend today’s induction, Gustafson said.